08

Then today, reality check: I had botched a few jobs, and another steep learning curve was on the cards.

Praise God I have a wonderfully patient boss in Barbara. Leah, although Professor James Dunbar's PA, does so much for me and teaches me more. Nadia, to whom Barbara and I both report, has been very good to me. In fact, they have all handled me with respect, tact and good humour. It makes such a nice change! The only cross word I have had put on me is from one poor bloke who is suffering from a dreaded lurgii, and he was just a shade abrupt.

The ducks are now getting clucky, and we have been given an enormous amount of eggs by an aquaintance at a Warrnambool supermarket with the reassurance of more to come as required. What a great way to increase one's flock! Now, if only I could be assured that the duck is actually sitting...

Poor Mowgli is not happy about being left at home, and unfortunately Brian shut him inside the kitchen the other day. It's amazing how much chaos a little dog can cause. I sometimes bless the fact that this is an old and tumbledown house. It doesn't matter too much with nicks, scratches and other damage, because there is a lot there already!

The electric fence that Brian installed at neck height for our feathers is working a treat. They now take one look at it and decide to go back into the paddock. We are encouraging their staying more by spreading out lettuce leaves for them to beak on.

There is a wonderful article in the latest Grass Roots magazine on Cleaning with Herbs, page 18, written by Lillian Barry of Glenorie in New South Wales.

Most people today know that vinegar is very good for cleaning bench tops, tile floors, windows and other hard surfaces. Most people today also know that the smell is nothing to write home about. To overcome this, writes Lillian, place bunches of your favourite aromatic herb into a large glass jar, fill with vinegar, cover and allow to sit on a sunny windowsill for several days. Lavender, rose geranium, lemon verbena or a combination of all three are fragrant enough to add a pleasing perfume to your cleaner. I've been wondering what to do with all that lemon balm I've been growing so prolifically. Place into a spray bottle for ease of use. For cleaning windows, dilute the cleaner with warm water (about half and half).

Fresh sorrel leaves are reputed to be effective for polishing copper and lemon balm leaves (!) to be an effective polish for wooden furniture, with the added benefit of keeping the furniture insect free.

Sweet waters cna be quickly brewed for perfuming clothes in the last rinse cycle of the washing machine. Place generous handfuls of fragrant rose petals, lavender flowers, lemon balm, rosemary or another favourite herb into a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan, cover with water and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat, cool and strain. Add a dash or two of alcohol to the mixture to act as a preserving agent. Two or three tablespoons of this mixture added to the final rinse will perfume your bath towels, linens or lingerie and help keep insects at bay as well.

Traditionally, herbs with camphor-like perfumes, such as santolina, southerwood and wormwood, were dried and used in sachets to prevent moths attacking linens. Though these herbs are usually effective, they don't impart a particularly pleasant fragrance to the linen closet. Herbs such as rosemary and levender can be added to the mix, increasing the insecticidal benefits and providing a more acceptable fragance. Dried pyrethrum flowers can also be added to the mix to increase the insect repellant qualities.

Lisa McInnes-Smith's quote: "One meets one's desitny often on the road one takes to avoid it."

Before Daybreak

The sickle moon decorously hides its lower half

behind a scattering of cloud,

but shines brightly enough that a continent away

scattered stars of daisies finally show their light

The air is snap cold.

I breathe in jagged gasps

my hands freeze and numb.

No clothing seems warm enough

and I think I'll take longer to defrost

than the darkly solid earth.

Brrrr!